WILLIMANTIC, Conn. -- Junior captain Anna Kennedy headed in a free kick from midfield by sophomore Schuyler Pettibone in the 52nd minute to lift the Mount Holyoke College soccer team to a 1-0 victory at Eastern Connecticut State University on Saturday, in the season opener for both teams.

The Lyons (1-0) rose to 2-0 all-time against the Warriors (0-1), after also posting a 1-0 win over them in the 2023 season opener at Mount Holyoke.

Kennedy (Glendale, Wis.), who assisted on the game-winning goal last year against ECSU, scored in the 52nd minute on the first shot of the second half on the first assist of Pettibone's (Raleigh, N.C.) career. The goal was the fifth of Kennedy's career. Pettibone bounced a long kick into the box past two Eastern defenders and beyond on-rushing goalie Alex Ignatowicz, with Kennedy getting a head on it and knocking it into an unprotected goal.

Mount Holyoke nearly opened the scoring midway through the first half when junior midfielder Ada Siepmann (Vlotho, Germany) sent a free kick perfectly over the Eastern wall that hit the crossbar and bounced to the ground just outside the goal line, where keeper Kaeden Dublin covered up.

ECSU accepted the loss in spite of advantages in shots attempted (12-8) and corner kicks (4-3). Dublin made two saves and Ignatowicz stopped one shot.

Junior captain Clarissa Govea (Pico Rivera, Calif.) started in goal and made one save in a shutout first half. Sophomore Evie Krieg (Frisco, Texas) kept goal in the second half and tallied six saves while earning the win and completing the shared shutout with Govea.

The Lyons will play their home opener against Western Connecticut State on Wednesday at 7pm.